My True Love Gave To Me
by Annber03
Summary: Inspired by the "12 Days of Christmas" song – 12 romantic holiday stories involving a mix of canon pairings and non-canon pairings (so yes, there will be a wee bit of slash in here at one point).
1. Chapter 1

**_December 14_****_th_****_, 2006_**

Reid/JJ

* * *

"Ready to go?"

Reid stood in JJ's office doorway, looking at her with all the eagerness of an excited child.

She gave him an amused glance. Yesterday, as the two of them were leaving work, Reid had cryptically told her to "be ready at five" today, because he had a present for her. JJ didn't even need to look at a clock to check the current time.

"Yep, all ready. But why can't you just tell me what this is all about?"

"I told you yesterday, it's a surprise. Shall we go, then?" He offered his arm to her, and she threaded her arm in with his. She managed to resist going the extra step and leaning up against him while resting her head on his shoulder. Reid, meanwhile, tried desperately not to think about holding her hand. _Best not to push your luck._

JJ barely noticed the beautiful scenery out the window during the entirety of the car ride with Reid. She was too busy grinning at him as he drove them to their destination. He had a pleased smile on his face, the excitement still shining in his eyes. His happy mood was becoming increasingly infectious.

He chanced a glance over at her at one point. "What?" he asked, slightly confused.

"Nothing. You just look really adorable right now." _Ooh. Was that going too far?_

Reid turned a faint shade of red and cleared his throat. "Um, thanks," he murmured. His eyes then caught a sign up ahead. "Almost there," he said, perhaps a bit too quickly.

A few minutes later, the car turned off into a small lot. JJ looked out at the rows of evergreen trees, then turned to Reid. "Spence?" she asked

Reid's face was now bashful. He cleared his throat once again. "I remembered you talking last year about how you and your family used to go out and get a tree for Christmas, and how you missed that tradition. We could've done this last year, but we didn't really get the time, so…"

JJ stared at Reid, a hand to her chest. "Oh, Spence…" she whispered. "That's really sweet of you…but…"

"But what?" _Oh, no. Don't tell me I screwed this up somehow._

"Well, I live in an apartment. It's hard to get an actual tree in there."

"I thought about that. That's why this place is perfect. There's smaller versions of real trees here. Less hassle, but you can still have a real tree if you want one."

JJ smiled. _Of course. I should've known he'd think of everything._ Before she knew what she was doing, she leaned over and, placing a hand on his shoulder, kissed him on the cheek. As she pulled back, she bit back a giggle as Reid's face became even redder. "Thanks, Spence," she whispered, her hand lingering for a moment longer.

"Anytime," Reid said softly.

The two of them wandered the lot for a while, inspecting the various trees, discussing which ones looked best (and in Reid's case, discussion led to a lengthy little lecture on the various types of trees and their strengths). Finally, JJ found one that was on the taller side, yet still easy for her to carry and still big enough to decorate.

Upon returning home, Reid walked JJ to her door. He was surprised when JJ set the tree down and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Thanks again for today," she said, looking up at him.

The bright, happy look on her face made this all the more worth it to Reid. "You're welcome," he said, tentatively returning the hug.

He began to feel slightly nervous as JJ's gaze became more intense. Suddenly, he felt her soft lips on his, her hands pressing against his back a little more firmly. The kiss was brief, but the warm feelings from it shot from Reid's head to his feet.

They parted, letting out nervous chuckles. Reid tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. "Um…so, I, uh…I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then?" he asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, see you tomorrow." JJ looked down, startled at how quickly she'd gone from bold to incredibly shy.

Another moment, and Reid finally turned to leave. He was a few steps away before he heard JJ call out, "Hey, Spence?"

He turned back. "Yeah?"

Her boldness was back again. "Would you like to stay and help me decorate this?" She motioned to the tree, still sitting in front of her door.

She grinned upon seeing that earlier smile return to Reid's face. "Absolutely," he said, heading back towards her.


	2. Chapter 2

**_December 15_****_th_****_, 2007_**

Garcia/Kevin

* * *

Kevin Lynch wasn't a violent man by any means. Today, however, if he got shoved aside by _one_ more customer, that was very likely to change.

He stood in the center of the mall, gazing around at all the stores.

_Knick-knacks? She loves knick-knacks…_

Kevin then remembered the last time he was over at Penelope's place. When he'd gone to sit down, one of her knick-knacks very nearly went somewhere he was fairly certain they weren't supposed to go.

_Clothes! She loves clothes. But there's so many clothing stores… _Kevin's eyes floated towards Victoria's Secret and he let out a small shudder. Sure, he loved seeing her in clothing from there, but to buy something from there?

_Hmmmm. Maybe a CD? No, no, she probably has an iPod or something._

_iPod! That's it! Something tech-y! _Kevin's face brightened as he headed in the direction of the mall's popular tech store.

* * *

Penelope Garcia needed to sit down. She grabbed the nearest open bench she could find, dropped her bags next to it, and plopped down onto the bench, heaving a great big sigh. She took a few minutes to lean her head back and close her eyes, ignoring the aching pains in her feet. _Kevin is so going to be giving me a foot massage tonight._

After a few moments, Penelope fumbled around in her purse for her Christmas shopping list. She scanned it for what must've been the fiftieth time that day, making sure she was all caught up. The team, check. Her siblings, check. All that was left was something for Kevin. She hadn't been dating him for very long, but she had a good feeling about this relationship. He'd been so wonderful with her as she healed from the recent shooting, they had a ton of things in common, shared the same weird sense of humor… He was a good man, and she wanted to make sure he was included in her gift-giving.

But what to get him? That was the big question. She'd briefly considered a few shirts – Kevin may have been adorable, but his wardrobe could definitely use a bit of an update. But shirts were kind of a boring gift. In her mind, Christmas was the time for the fun presents.

No, he should have something cool, something exciting. There were comic books, and movies based on various comics. But that was a bit of a minefield. She'd spent one too many afternoons in her lair listening to Kevin go on some rant about how the latest Hollywood film inspired by a comic book screwed this or that up. If she had to hear the word "canon" one more time…

A customer briskly passed her then, babbling into their cell phone. Penelope's eyes lit up. Tech stuff! Yes! It was so thuddingly obvious!

Feeling her second wind kick in, Penelope grabbed her bags and scurried to her new destination.

* * *

Kevin slowly passed back and forth down one aisle of the tech store, the frown on his face deepening as he looked over the gadgets. Some of these things sounded amazing, but they were too out of his price range. And he felt a bit weird buying something so expensive for someone he'd just started dating – not that Penelope wouldn't deserve it, but it would almost seem like too much pressure or something.

Soon, however, he found the perfect thing. It was small, this gift, but he knew for sure she didn't have it.

Penelope, meanwhile, was at another end of the store, feeling a bit frustrated. She usually didn't have much trouble shopping for the guys she knew. Why was this so difficult?

_'Cause you aren't dating any of the other men you know._

Finally, a few moments later, she let out a small "Yes!" She'd managed to find something. Seeing that this was apparently the last of this item, Penelope immediately snatched it up, clutching it close to her chest. As she turned to wander off to another area of the store, she gasped.

_Kevin! Oh, no, he can't see me here!_ She looked around frantically for a place to hide. Unfortunately, the closest escape was the doorway to the store itself…which Kevin happened to be near.

_Maybe if I hurry, he won't notice._ She started to hurry down the aisle, maneuvering through the increasingly crowded aisle. Almost there…

"Penelope!"

"Kevin!"

Kevin's hands immediately went behind his back, while Penelope tried to hide her gift amongst her bags. The two stared at each other for a couple moments. "Hi…" Penelope's voice faltered.

"Hi." More staring. "I was just, uh, getting some Christmas ideas. In general."

"Yeah. Yeah, me, too." Another awkward moment. "Well, I should probably go…"

"Yeah. Go. I'm leaving, too…soon…"

Seeing there was no way she could manage to remain secretive at this point, Penelope sighed. "Oh, this isn't going to work." _And I'm certainly not in the mood to be arrested for stealing._ She pulled her gift out and held it out towards Kevin. "This is what I'm going to get you for Christmas."

Kevin's eyes widened. It was a newer headset model. One that Penelope already had. "It's got some neat little features, and I figured it'd be a good way for us to talk to each other if you're not able to actually visit."

"Cool!" Kevin took the gift, looking at it in awe. Then he glanced at Penelope. "As long as we're doing this now…here's what I planned to get you." He held up a small set of figurines from the "Doctor Who" series. "Seeing as you like to decorate your desk, well…"

"Oh, Kevin! This is perfect! I'll think of you every time I look at them!"

"That's the idea," Kevin said, smiling.

"Thank you!" Penelope threw her free arm around Kevin's neck, giving him a quick kiss, which Kevin happily reciprocated. So what if they were in public?

"I think," Kevin said after they parted, "that we should go and pay for our gifts together, and then I'd like to take my girlfriend out for dinner."

Penelope rubbed Kevin's arm. "Sounds like a good idea to me."

"Merry early Christmas, Penelope."

"Merry early Christmas, Kevin."


	3. Chapter 3

**_December 16_****_th_****_, 2012_**

Rossi/Strauss

* * *

"Put it down, Erin."

"But –"

"No buts. Put it down." David Rossi flashed Erin Strauss his best _I'm serious _look. Erin sighed, setting her cell phone down on the stand next to her.

"I still can't believe you snuck that thing by me," he continued, eyeing the phone with disdain. He'd come across it last night when Erin had been rummaging for her nightwear. It had fallen out of her bag. He'd made sure Erin forgot about the phone in quick order shortly thereafter, of course, but still, it irritated him a little.

He shouldn't have been surprised, though. Erin was never big on following orders. Admittedly, that was something he'd secretly admired about her. Most of the time, anyway.

"I'm sorry, Dave," Erin said apologetically. "But I managed to avoid using it up to now, didn't I? I've been good this whole weekend."

"But the whole point was for you to get away from _anything_ that could connect you to work this weekend," Rossi insisted. He placed a hand over hers. "I wanted the focus to be solely on us."

He glanced down briefly, his thumb absentmindedly rubbing her palm. "You've been so stressed out at work lately. We both have, especially with this whole Replicator business. I just didn't want you to have to worry about any of that for a couple days."

"I know," Erin said, giving Rossi a soft smile. "But do you want to know why I brought my phone?"

Rossi raised his eyebrows, his face encouraging.

Erin sighed, shifting on the couch so she could properly face him. "You know it's been just over a year since I…'went away' for a while, right?"

Rossi nodded. That had been another reason for this little getaway weekend. It was a celebration of how far she'd come in battling her addiction, a chance for Rossi to show her just how proud he was of her, and how grateful he was to have her back, and in his life.

"Well, work has been very beneficial for me in that regard. It used to stress me out, and only made things worse. But now…now I'm finding a new appreciation for my job. When Morgan stepped in to see to it I got help, I realized how things have changed between myself and your team over time. Knowing we're working together, instead of against each other, has made my job that much better."

"That's great, Erin. I'm glad you guys are getting along." He paused. "You just looked so tired at work the other day."

"Well, of course I did. This job will never _not_ be stressful, David."

Rossi looked away at her slight admonishment. He couldn't argue with her there.

"But the work is keeping me busy, keeping me focused. I don't have as much time to think about…other things now." She smiled again as Rossi glanced back up at her, his face telling her he understood. "I'm not going to run out of here unless we have an absolute emergency. But knowing I'm still connected to what's going on back home makes me feel better."

"That makes sense," Rossi said softly. "All right. The phone doesn't need to be packed away."

"I do appreciate the gesture, though, David. This whole weekend really has been wonderful." She held one of his hands in hers, caressing it gently.

"It's been wonderful for me, too, Erin." He broke their grasp, reaching towards the coffee table for the two glasses of ginger ale placed there. Handing her one, he raised his in toasting. "To new beginnings."

"To new beginnings." Erin lifted her glass, too, before she and Rossi quickly downed their drinks.

"You know," Rossi said as he set his glass back on the table, "the weekend isn't over quite yet." He glanced over at Erin, his eyes twinkling, a mischievous smile spreading across his face. The smile grew even bigger when he heard Erin giggle. _Giggle!_ Talk about a rare treat.

Erin stood, reaching a hand out towards Rossi. "Then I suppose we'd better make the most of it, shouldn't we?"

"Indeed," Rossi replied. Standing and grabbing her hand, the two headed off to bed.


	4. Chapter 4

**_December 17_****_th_****_, 2008_**

Morgan/Garcia

**A/N:** Just wanting to quickly thank everyone who's commented/favorited/followed this story so far. I'm glad you're all enjoying this!

* * *

"Mmmm." Morgan sat back in his chair, rubbing his stomach.

"Good dinner?" Garcia grinned over at him.

"Absolutely _delicious_. I'd say you're about as good a cook as my mama."

"Well. That's some high praise, then!" Garcia beamed as she stood up to clear the plates.

"Ah, ah!" Morgan placed a hand on her arm, gently prying a plate from her hand. "You. Sit. I'll get these." He pointed towards her living room.

Garcia frowned. "But...but this is my place…"

"Yes, but you cooked dinner, so you get to relax. I'll clean up," Morgan insisted as he guided Garcia towards her living room.

"Do you remember where everything goes?"

"Baby girl, have you forgotten how often I've been over here over the past year?" He placed his hands on her shoulders, lightly patting them. "I think I got this. Now _go sit down_."

"Ohhhhhh…okay," Garcia relented. "Actually, this'll work out great, 'cause I can get my present for you all set up."

"You really didn't have to get me anything," Morgan said as he headed back towards the kitchen. "You're all the present I need."

It never failed to amaze Garcia how Morgan could flawlessly pull off lines like that. Any other guy said such things, they'd come off horribly lame, but with Morgan, the sincerity always shone through. "Awwww. Sugar," she called back to him. "That's sweet, but c'mon, you know me. Gifts are my thing." She began wrestling with the big, rectangular object, which was currently covered by a thick tan sheet.

Morgan smiled as he dug into the dishes. Indeed, her seemingly never-ending generosity was one of his favorite things about her.

"I'm so glad you were able to make it over tonight," he heard her continue. "With as busy as we've been lately, I was afraid we wouldn't get a chance to celebrate Christmas together before you left."

"I'm glad we're able to do this, too," Morgan said, walking closer to the living room. "And I'm really sorry that we won't be able to actually spend the holiday together." He felt a slight ache in his stomach as he talked, hating to remind himself, and her, of their upcoming situation.

Morgan wanted a repeat of last year so badly. He loved being able to show Garcia around his old stomping grounds, and they had a great time taking in the various cultural sights that Chicago had to offer. And seeing his sisters exchanging e-mail and Facebook addresses, as well as phone numbers, with Garcia? Seeing his mother treating her as though she were her own daughter? That was the definition of a "warm, fuzzy" moment.

He was even happy to sit through his mom's usual hints about future grandchildren, which Garcia had only helped in egging on ("You're not alone, Fran. He won't listen to me on that issue, either, and I've been volunteering to help him with that for _years_!"). It was a wonderful vacation, a perfect way for the two of them to cement their relationship as the start of something serious.

This year, however, would be different. Granted, the plans they both had were still fun in and of themselves. Morgan would still be going home to Chicago, and Garcia's siblings had planned a ski trip. Unfortunately, the timing just didn't work for them to be able to attend both family reunions together. Instead, they'd both insisted the other go see their respective loved ones.

"You haven't seen your siblings in a while," Morgan had pointed out. "You deserve to spend time with them."

"And I don't want you feeling guilty about not visiting your mom," Garcia had replied.

Garcia bit her lip, looking down at the heart necklace Morgan had given her earlier. "So I can still be close to you in spirit," he'd explained, laying on one of those "how is this not cheesy coming from him?" lines again. Sure, it'd only be for a few days, and sure she was glad he'd be with his family. And sure, she was excited about the ski trip. But still…

"Penelope?" Morgan asked, cutting through her thoughts. She turned to see him in the doorway. "Did you hear me?"

"Huh?"

"I was just reminding you that we can still call each other, or talk online."

"Oh. Yeah. Of course. I know that. And believe me, I intend to do that," Garcia said as she stood up, wiping quickly at her eyes.

Morgan crossed the room, coming to stand in front of her, placing his hands on her arms. "I know. It's not the same as actually being there. Believe me, I feel the same way. But we'll work it out, okay?"

Garcia sniffled slightly. "Okay," she said, nodding. "You're right."

"There's my girl," Morgan said, wrapping his arms around her. "And I promise, I'll make it up to you when I get back home."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Garcia said, poking him in the chest. She wiggled her eyebrows at him, and the two of them laughed, embracing once again.

"So, are you done with the dishes?" Time to change the subject.

"Yeah. They're sitting in the other side of the sink, drying out a little. I'll put them away later." He felt Garcia nod against him, and his eyes finally rested on the rectangular object sitting against a chair. "What's that?"

Garcia followed his gaze. "That, Hot Stuff, is your Christmas present. Sit." She patted his arm as she ran over to the gift.

Morgan obliged, settling in on the couch, an amused smile on his face as he watched Garcia moving to stand before him, awkwardly maneuvering the gift in front of her.

"All right, before I show you your present, I should explain. I found an old photo when I was at your place a while back, and it looked kind of faded and torn, and I…well…I did a thing."

Morgan raised his eyebrows. "A thing?"

"Yeah. I'd come up with this idea a while ago, and was going to leave things as they were…but then there was that recent case you guys had in Phoenix, with the guy going after cops, and I wanted to change things up a bit."

Morgan was absolutely mystified now. One of those times where he wasn't quite sure how to respond to Garcia's unusual way of speaking and explaining things. "Okay…" he began slowly.

"So, here it is. Merry Christmas, Derek." Garcia slowly pulled the thick sheet away, and smiled upon seeing Morgan slack-jawed and visibly moved.

"Penelope…" he breathed. He gazed at the large picture. It was a split shot of him and his father. The old photo of his father, decked out in his police uniform, covered one half of the rectangle. The photo had been touched up and properly restored. The other half had a photo of Morgan in full FBI gear.

"I think your dad would've been very proud of you on that case in Phoenix. I know I was," Garcia said softly.

Morgan knelt in front of the photo, running a hand along it. He couldn't speak for the longest time, felt his throat closing up, tears at the corners of his eyes. Finally, he looked up at Garcia. "Thank you," he simply said. He stood up and hugged her tightly again for the second time that night, before capturing her mouth in a passionate kiss.

"You're welcome," Garcia said, wrapping an arm around Morgan's waist. "I'm glad you like it."

"Like it? I _love_ it," Morgan enthused, pulling back a little bit to look at her. "I'm going to show this to my family back home. It'll mean as much to them as it does to me." He fixed his eyes on hers, touching a hand to her cheek. "You really are a goddess."

"And you're always going to be my hero," Garcia said, rubbing Morgan's back. "Even if your bravery sometimes scares me." She narrowed her eyes at him.

Morgan chuckled, smiling as she leaned forward again, resting her head against his chest. "You are _never_ going to let me live down that thing with the ambulance bomb in New York, are you?"

"Nope," Garcia replied, tightening her grip on his waist. She smiled as he ran his fingers through her hair, planting a kiss atop her head.


	5. Chapter 5

**_December 18_****_th_****_, 2009_**

Reid/Emily

**A/N:** Little bit different and reflective, this one, but hope you guys enjoy it.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Reid asked as he carefully moved towards the couch.

"I should be asking you that question," Emily muttered, taking the ice pack from Reid's hand.

"I'm fine. I'm not on the crutches anymore." He pointed his new cane outward slightly, emphasizing his point. "You, on the other hand, are recovering from a car accident."

"Spencer, I just bumped my head a little. I'm _fine_. Really."

"Ah, but head injuries can be sneaky. In all actuality, the chances of the full effects of a head injury showing up right away are –"

"Okay, let me rephrase that. I'm _mostly_ fine, except for a slight headache." She peered up at Reid from under her ice pack.

Reid quickly got the message. "Sorry," he said, slowly lowering himself onto the couch. Emily brought her knees up to give him more room.

"What a pair we make. You with a cane and me with a bump on the head," Emily said dryly.

"Having things in common _is_ the sign of a strong relationship," Reid said, giving her an amused look. She laughed in response.

"Sometimes I feel like a cat," Emily said suddenly. Upon seeing Reid's confused face, she continued. "Like I've got nine lives I'm burning through, or something."

Reid nodded. "Danger comes with the job, though." He shrugged nonchalantly.

Emily let out a short laugh at his matter-of-fact statement. "You _would_ know that better than anyone," she remarked. "If _you_ were a cat, you'd be about out of your lives at this point."

"You _did_ once say I was 'lifelike'," Reid reminded her, pointing a finger in her direction. "Maybe there's some truth to that." He suddenly grew quiet then, reflective.

"Hey," she said softly, trying to get his attention. "You know that was a joke, right?"

"Yeah. I know."

"Okay, so what's up? What's going on in that head of yours?"

"Hotch," Reid said simply.

"What about him?" Emily gently prodded.

"It's been nearly a month now," Reid noted, wary of going into specifics. It still felt weird to mention Haley, and Reid didn't even want to discuss the guy responsible for taking her away. "I was just thinking about how he's dealing with all of this. He's always been tough, too – he's probably even tougher than I am. He came back to work, after all. I just can't help wondering how long he'll last."

"He's got a lot of people behind him," Emily pointed out. "He's got us. And Jessica. And he's got Jack. I think, above all else, he's continuing on for Jack."

"That's very true, but I just can't imagine what it'd be like to lose someone you love like that." Reid looked over at Emily, his eyes full of worry. "Hotch might be able to figure out how to deal with that, but I…I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

"I know the feeling," Emily said, gazing back at Reid meaningfully. They studied each other for a moment, memories of past close brushes flashing through their minds. He thought of the recent car accident, of the fear that ran through him when he'd heard about an SUV exploding in New York. She thought of the recent shooting, Hankel, the anthrax case, Owen Savage.

Both remembered Cyrus. It took a little while after that whole situation for them to finally progress to an actual relationship, but they knew that was the case where they finally stopped dancing around figuring out their feelings for each other. Just as Reid could relate to Hotch's recent feelings, Emily now understood all too well the fears and frustrations Haley must've dealt with over the years. There were times she wanted to throttle Reid whenever he found himself in some risky situation. And yet, his headstrong bravery, his ability to put others before himself, no matter the cost, was one of the big reasons she'd fallen in love with him.

Reid's voice broke the silence. "You know, I hesitate to consider myself lucky, because that would imply I received some sort of good fortune that Hotch didn't get." Reid frowned as he considered the meaning of that belief. "But," He reached a hand out now, placing it on Emily's knee, "I _am_ happy that you're here. And alive."

"My thoughts exactly," Emily said, shifting so that she was snuggled up against Reid's side. She smiled as he draped his arm around her, turning to kiss him on the cheek. After a moment, she frowned as she felt Reid's arm leave her, staring at him curiously as he tapped his cane and made a couple hand gestures. "Spencer? What are you doing?"

Reid answered by producing a flower from…somewhere, and for once, Emily refrained from her usual attempt at trying to figure out how he'd done the magic trick. He offered the flower to her, and she accepted it, sniffing it briefly.

"It's a gladiolus," Reid explained. "It symbolizes strength, faithfulness, honor, and remembrance."

"Did you know we'd be having this conversation today or something?" Emily looked at him, bemused.

"No. But given everything we _have_ been through, I just think it happens to perfectly describe us. And you."

And there it was. That innocent, shy, affectionate smile that never failed to melt Emily's heart. She snuggled up against him again, him with an arm around her waist, her with an arm around his neck. "I love you, Dr. Reid," she sighed.

"I love you, too, Emily."

* * *

_Flower information courtesy of the website theflowerexpert._


	6. Chapter 6

**_December 19_****_th_****_, 2007_**

Morgan/Reid

* * *

"Wow…" Garcia breathed as she gazed down at the big, circular object sprawled out on her desk.

"Think he'll like it?" Garcia narrowed her eyes suspiciously in Morgan's direction. _Do I detect a hint of uncertainty in my chocolate God's voice?_

"I think so. I can' t believe you managed to find one with a 'Star Wars' theme."

"It wasn't easy, believe me. I must've gone to a dozen stores and online sites trying to find something like this."

"You sure went out of your way for Reid's gift, huh?" Garcia tried to hide the smirk that now threatened to sneak across her face. Morgan noticed the heavy hinting in his friend's tone, and was about to say something, when a voice startled the both of them.

"Hey, guys. What's up?"

"Reid!" Morgan quickly moved to stand in front of his present, Garcia following his lead. "Hi!"

"Hi." A staring contest ensued between the three. "Something wrong?"

"No. No, nothing's wrong," Garcia reassured him. "Everything's fine. Right, Derek?" She looked up at him, giving him a quick nudge.

"Right. Yeah. Fine." Morgan shifted a little more when he saw Reid try and crane his neck to look past the two of them.

Reid's gaze darted back and forth between his friends, his eyes quickly narrowing before his normal expression returned. "O-kay. Just wanted to see if you guys were up for lunch or something."

"Yeah, that sounds good," Garcia answered. "Just give us a couple minutes?"

"Sure. See you downstairs in a bit." He gave his usual little wave and a smile before exiting the room.

"_Whew_," Garcia and Morgan said simultaneously as they turned back towards the gift, Morgan nearly collapsing on the desk.

"_That _was close," Morgan muttered. "Thanks for having my back."

"Anytime," Garcia said, grinning and patting Morgan on the arm.

* * *

"Coming, Pretty Boy?" Morgan said later that night.

"Yeah, I'll be in in just a minute. Just finishing up my cocoa."

Morgan leaned against the doorway, smiling at the scene before him. Reid sat cross-legged on the couch, still curled up in the blanket they'd both snuggled under most of the evening while watching TV. He held a cup in his hands, happily slurping up the last of the warm drink.

"See, _this_ is why I call you 'kid'," Morgan chuckled.

Reid made a mocking throwing motion with the now empty cup. "Shut up," he said, grinning, as he stood, turning the blanket into a shawl of sorts.

"Here, let me get that." Morgan reached out, grabbing the cup and setting it in the kitchen sink before following Reid to their room.

They'd just settled in, all comfortable under the blankets, Reid sitting up with a book, Morgan laying down with eyes closed, when Reid spoke. "So what were you and Garcia trying to hide at work today?"

"…what?" Morgan opened an eye, gazing up at the other man.

"You and Garcia were hiding something at work today. What was it?"

"Spencer, c'mon…" Morgan sighed, rolling onto his back.

"Was it my Christmas present?" Reid smirked as he looked down at his boyfriend.

Morgan propped himself up on one arm. "How did you -?"

"There was a bit of a gap between your arm and waist," Reid explained. "I saw some sort of object behind you."

"You were staring at my waist?"

"…don't change the subject, Derek."

Morgan rolled his eyes. Reid then pulled out the big guns. He turned on the puppy dog eyes. "Please tell me?" he asked, making his voice sound as exceedingly pitiful as he knew how.

"Oh, you are _evil_…" Morgan grumbled. "All right. Fine. Yes. It's your present. Happy now?"

"Very." Reid's face brightened. "So what is it?"

"It's not Christmas yet, Spencer." God, but the kid was persistent.

"But I've already seen some of it. Kinda pointless to keep hiding it now, right?" When he saw Morgan continue to hesitate, Reid threatened "the look" again.

"All right, all right!" Morgan sighed, getting out of bed. "One early present. _One_." He held up a finger. Reid nodded in understanding, waiting patiently as Morgan headed off in search of the gift's hiding place.

"If you want to make it even, I can let you open one of your presents early," Reid called out.

"No, that's okay." Morgan's voice became clearer as he made his way back into the room. "Unlike _some_ people, I have some self-control."

Reid snorted, throwing Morgan a wicked smirk. "Sure you do."

Morgan threw him a withering glance. "Do you want your present or not?"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I'll stop." He got back into his cross-legged sitting position as he watched Morgan pull the gift out of its huge plastic bag and set it on the bed.

"A dream catcher?" Reid asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I know you still get nightmares sometimes, after all, and I just thought…well…" Morgan shrugged. "I know there's no proof they actually work, but maybe, I dunno, the…power of suggestion, or something, will help."

Reid smiled, looking slightly touched. "Thanks, Derek."

"You're welcome. Merry Christmas, Spencer." He stared down at the dream catcher. "I don't know where you want to hang it…"

"How about up here?" Reid pointed behind him at the wall above the bed. "I'm not the only one who has nightmares, after all." He looked up meaningfully at Morgan.

_He's more than earned that "genius" title. _Morgan grinned, heading out again in search of a wall peg and a hammer. Reid helped to hang the catcher up, feeling proud when he'd managed to use the hammer without hurting his own fingers in the process.

Afterward, they resumed their positions in bed, Morgan resting on his arm again. "How'd you know it was your gift, anyway?" he asked.

"I saw a bit of the 'Star Wars' logo," Reid answered. "And the glow of a Jedi lightsaber. I didn't realize they made dream catchers with that theme."

"It's like I told Garcia, I had to do a lot of searching to find the perfect one. When I saw that, it just made sense." He didn't tell Reid about his research on what qualities made up a Jedi knight, and how that made the gift even more perfect, but from the look on Reid's face, he suspected he'd already figured it out.

"You didn't have to go out of your way like that, you know." Reid looked down, his expression soft and pleased.

"I wanted to," Morgan replied simply, moving to wrap an arm around Reid. "You deserve it."

"Does Garcia know about us yet?" Reid asked after a moment.

"No, but I think she definitely suspects. Don't be surprised if you go into work tomorrow and find mistletoe next to some spot we usually hang out at."

"We should tell her. In fact, we should tell everyone," Reid continued thoughtfully.

"Yeah?"

He felt a nod against his shoulder, before Reid lifted his head, giving Morgan a kiss. "I want everyone to know why I've been so happy lately."

Morgan responded with another kiss. "Sounds logical to me." He ruffled Reid's hair before pulling away and curling up under the blankets. "Night, Pretty Boy."

"Good night, Derek." A pause. "Sweet dreams."

"You, too, Spencer."


	7. Chapter 7

**_December 20_****_th_****_, 2011_**

Hotch/Prentiss

* * *

"Done!" Emily stepped back from the Christmas tree, grinning as she gazed at the decorations. Her ornaments now mingled in alongside Hotch and Jack's.

Hotch came to stand next to her, a hand on her back. "Looks good," he noted. "Much more complete now." He marveled at how full the tree looked with all its decorations. It had been a while since his family's tree had looked so festive – he'd nearly forgotten how much he enjoyed getting ready for the holidays.

"Thank you for letting me join in on this," Emily said as she gazed up at Hotch, pressing up against his side.

"Of course," Hotch replied. "It's been over a year now. I'd say it's about time you started joining in on the festivities."

Emily bit her lip then, intense emotion flooding through her. Memories of sitting in her home in Paris in early September flooded her brain. She'd been talking with Hotch then, and at one point he'd started talking about Jack's new school year. That made her think of fall, and thoughts of fall turned to winter, and thoughts of winter turned to the holidays, and she'd started to wonder and worry… _What if I never get out of here?_

_But I _am_ here. In the U.S. With Aaron, and my friends. Home for the holidays._

She felt a sudden nudge at her shoulder.

"You okay?" Hotch asked, peering down at her.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about how nice it is to be here."

"It's nice to have you here," Hotch said softly, almost to himself. He turned away for a moment, a faraway look in his eyes, before focusing on her again. "Wait here."

Emily found herself standing alone in the center of the living room, an amused look on her face as she listened to the soft rustling and rummaging from Hotch's bedroom down the hall. A few seconds later, there was the sound of footsteps, and she turned as she heard Hotch enter the room again. He strode over to her, grabbed her hand, and placed a small white box in it.

She looked at him curiously.

"Open it," he gently urged her. She did, and found herself staring down at…

"A key?" Another look, this one slightly wary and confused.

"A key to this place. Emily, I…I want you to move in with me."

Emily stood before him, frozen in place and slack-jawed.

_He's serious about this? Well, of course he is. He's got to be. Aaron doesn't make jokes. _

"Emily?" His voice brought her back. She blinked.

"…what?"

She shifted uncomfortably then, feeling the full weight of the infamous Hotchner gaze as he scrutinized her. He probably stared for only a few seconds, but it sure felt longer than that.

"Emily…" Hotch repeated, drawing out the name in that low, steady tone. "If you're not ready for this, it's okay. I understand."

"No, that's not…I mean, I just don't know if…I think I am…I…" Emily clamped her mouth shut, throwing her arms out in an exasperated motion.

"It's okay, really. I know you've been through a lot this year, and you may need more time to…" He paused, taking a small breath. "…to adjust to being back."

Finally, Emily found her voice again. "It's not that, Aaron. I mean, I _do_ still need to deal with everything that's happened, you're right about that. But that's not the issue."

"What is the issue?"

Emily would never cease to be amused by how Hotch could still sound so "boss-like" even in a romantic, or potentially romantic, setting. It was incredibly weird, and yet…there was an odd little thrill about it.

She sighed. "It's just weird to think we're at this step. I've never really been much of a commitment sort of person – I know that sounds incredibly cliché, but it's true."

"I believe you," Hotch replied. Her trust issues, her insecurities, they'd never been a secret with Hotch (he was a profiler, after all, even if she'd never told him about her problems, he would be able to guess with near certainty what most, if not all of them, were, and what they were about). He'd loved those nights, in the early months of their relationship, when they'd have long talks late into the night.

He talked about Haley, about Jack, about all his concerns involving the shakeups and uncertainties about his job, his leadership. She talked about her childhood, her moving around, went in depth about why the exorcism case had bothered her so much (and as a result, Hotch had felt incredibly guilty for responding as he did to her at various points throughout the case, and had apologized, despite her protests).

Then the whole thing with Ian Doyle had happened. Hotch had to learn to deal with his own trust issues upon finding out about that part of her past, and she had to learn to trust him when he hid her away for seven months.

Hotch tried not to think about those days too much. Having to communicate with her solely by phone or computer. Worrying about her safety, wondering if Doyle would find her. Trying to calm her down on the days she'd cry and talk about missing her friends, begging him to tell her how they were and what was going on in their lives. Trying to reassure her on the nights she'd yell at him, cursing him for putting her in this position to begin with, allowing himself to be her proverbial punching bag for all her frustrations and fears.

Then she'd "come back from the dead", and that had its own incredibly awkward moments. She'd felt the cold response of her friends, which had only fueled her personal issues even more. It took a while for her and Hotch to start regaining some proper footing in their relationship, and they still had a ways to go. But the signs had seemed promising thus far, and Hotch had continued to hold on to hope. He'd already lost someone he loved once. He'd be damned if he'd let another woman slip through his fingers.

"I can wait," he continued. "I don't want to pressure you."

"You're not, Aaron. You've been incredibly wonderful to me. You've put up with so much stuff with me, and I appreciate it." She steeled herself for her next words. "I just…don't know if I'm _quite_ there yet."

Hotch tried to keep his face neutral, tried to put on a reassuring tone. "I understand," he said once again. The ache in his chest, however, refused to accept his words.

"Then again…"

Hotch's eyebrows went up slightly, the aching feeling dulling somewhat.

"I may have issues with commitment, but I _am_ something of a risk-taker. I think I've proven that a time or two in the field?" She threw Hotch that teasing, cheeky grin that never failed to make the otherwise strong man weak in the knees.

"That you have." Hotch nodded, smirking in response.

"How about a compromise? We can give this 'moving in' thing a trial run – say, a month or so? Test it out, see how it goes?"

Hotch considered this. "Deal," he finally noted, the smile lighting up his entire face now. He walked towards her, enveloping her in a hug, clutching her a little tighter when he felt her arms slip around his waist, beginning to rub his back. He stroked her soft, silky hair, kissing her neck.

"It'll be nice to wake up next to you on Christmas morning." And somehow, he sensed it would be the first of many Christmas mornings together.

"Definitely," Emily murmured, enjoying the feel of Hotch's hands on her hair and her back, the warmth of being in his arms. She made a mental note to have her camera on hand come Christmas morning. That beret she'd picked up in Paris was going to look _really _good on Hotch…


	8. Chapter 8

**_December 21_****_st_****_, 2013_**

Blake/James

**A/N:** Since I am unable to reply to the guest reviewer personally, will quickly do so here: Thanks for your comment! I can see where you'd see them that way – she certainly likes to tease and joke with him in a sisterly type of way, at least :D. It's just fun to explore the romantic possibilities with various team pairings here, though. But I'm glad you liked that chapter regardless! And again, I thank everyone who's commented thus far, and read this story. I appreciate the support.

Also, for those who like Morgan and Emily together and have asked me about that, you will get your wish soon! And now, on with the story.

* * *

_"We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas…"_

The jubilant-sounding choir voices rang out from the stereo as Alex Blake stood on a stepladder, hanging the last of the leftover tinsel along the wall of her living room.

Blake loved Christmas music. From the melancholy "I'll be Home for Christmas" to the fun "Jingle Bell Rock", she spent her downtime from the day after Thanksgiving up through Christmas playing whatever seasonal songs she could find. She loved focusing on the various messages of the songs, learning the stories and histories behind them. Blake wasn't a deeply religious person, but after witnessing the worst of the worst at her job, it was so calming and comforting to turn to songs like "Silent Night" or "O Holy Night".

She didn't like the echo the music created throughout the house, though. It was another reminder of how big the place was. How…empty.

Blake wasn't going to budge from her stance she'd taken when she talked to James about changing their relationship a few months back. She was perfectly fine with her marriage and how it was set up. Most of the time.

But it was times like this when the other side of the argument would rear its head. Snuggling on the couch with James, having him help decorate, being able to actually talk to him face to face about what he wanted for Christmas, instead of trying to find the "right time" to call. Opening presents together on Christmas morning…

Yeah. A "typical" living arrangement did have its perks. James had said he'd try and make it home for Christmas this year, though. Key word, of course, being "try".

_Well, it was worth a shot,_ Blake thought as she stood back, admiring her handiwork. _If he comes home and sees all the decorations, wonderful. If he doesn't, then at least I'm in more of a holiday mood._

At around five pm, Blake was curled up on the couch, sipping some tea, her nose buried in a book. She was startled by the sudden sound of the phone ringing.

"Hello?"

"Alex!"

"James?"

"Do you have any money on you?"

"It's nice to talk to you, too," Blake replied dryly, trying to hide her smile. "Why do you ask?"

James sighed. "I wanted it to be a surprise…I was on my way down to your place."

Blake blinked, her eyes wide. "You're coming home?"

"Eventually," he continued. "Unfortunately, my car broke down on the way here. I'm okay," he added hastily. "I'm currently at a motel that's close by, they came and towed my car and it's getting fixed right now. But I'm a bit short on money to pay for it."

"I can come get you if you want," Blake began, but James protested.

"No way. It's dark out, I don't want you on the highway by yourself."

"But -" She was an FBI agent, for goodness' sake!

"No 'buts'. I want you to stay safe. Besides, the weather might get kinda nasty. There's a place right nearby where you can send money to me if you're able and I'll pick it up."

Blake sighed. "All right. Say no more," she said. She wrote down the address of the money place, feeling relieved at how close he actually was. Just a couple hours away. "I'll head down to the store on the corner and send some money shortly."

"You are the best," James replied.

"Yeah, I know." Blake smirked as James let out a mock laugh. "I'm just glad you're somewhere safe and warm."

"So am I!" Another sigh. "All right, then, I'll let you go so you can do that."

"On my way," Blake said as she wandered into the hallway, grabbing her coat. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"See you tomorrow." She could picture James grinning on the other end.

"I can't wait. I love you."

"Love you, too." She set the phone back in its place, and then heard a knock at the door.

"Special delivery," a voice called faintly from outside.

Blake frowned. Delivery? Was all this stuff with James a ruse? She went to look through the peephole, and gasped when she saw who was on the other side.

"Dad?" she exclaimed upon flinging the door open. Her brother Scott stood next to him, grinning.

"Hello, sweetie," her dad said, giving her a big hug. "You surprised?"

"Very much so!" Blake laughed. "And I'd love to invite you in, but I've got a quick errand to run. You can come with me if you want, though - we can catch up on the way."

"Sounds good to me," Scott said, as he and her father followed her down the sidewalk.

Upon hearing about James' problem, Blake and her family soon found themselves in her father's car, heading out to where James was staying.

"You sure your car can handle the drive?" Blake asked.

"Positive. Besides, it's worth it if it means getting your husband home sooner," her father said, smiling over at her.

She couldn't argue with him on that one.


	9. Chapter 9

**_December 22_****_nd_****_, 2012_**

Reid/Maeve

* * *

"Spencer?"

"Hi, Maeve."

"Hi!" He smiled at her excitement. "Good to hear your voice, as always."

"Good to hear yours, too."

"Did you have a nice flight to Vegas?"

"Yeah, for the most part. A little bit of turbulence going over the mountains, but nothing too terrible. I barely even noticed it, actually."

"I'd imagine you're probably pretty used to that by now," Maeve joked, and Reid laughed in response. He'd told her about their flight to Kansas for a case, and how freaked out Rossi had been the entire way.

Silence fell between them for a brief moment before Reid spoke. "I really do like this, you know? The days when we're able to talk outside our usual time and date."

"I do, too," Maeve said softly. "Especially now, at the holidays, it's nice to be able to talk to you."

"Yeah, it is." A thought crossed his mind then. "Are your parents going to see you?"

He could almost hear Maeve nodding on the other end. "Yes, they'll visit on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day."

Reid breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't bear to imagine her alone on Christmas. "Good."

Another bit of silence. "I sent you something," Maeve continued, a lightly teasing tone creeping into her voice.

"Oh, did you?" Reid matched her tone, smiling once more. He loved it when she was like this. It made him feel so much better to imagine her in a purely happy mood.

"Yeah. I sent it to where your mom's staying, since I know that's where you're going to be. I hope that's okay?"

"That's fine," Reid reassured her. "Thank you, I look forward to getting it. I sent you something, too. It's not much…" _Not as much as you deserve._ "…but hopefully you'll like it anyway."

She chuckled. "Spencer," she interrupted, easing his quick rambling. "It's okay, I trust whatever you sent will be fine." Her voice sounded so gentle, so comforting. "I can't wait to get it."

Reid felt that familiar ache in the pit of his stomach. Why did their phone calls have to be so short?

"Well, anyway, I just wanted to call you and let you know I made it to Vegas okay. And to wish you a merry Christmas. I should be back by New Year's, so…maybe we can talk again then, too?"

"That sounds good. Hope you have a nice time with your mom, and a safe flight back."

"Thanks, hope you have a good time with your parents, too." He paused. "Take care of yourself, Maeve, okay?"

On her end, Maeve felt a flood of warmth through her. She really did love the protective side of her Spencer. "I will. Merry Christmas, Spencer."

"Merry Christmas, Maeve."

* * *

"What's that?" Diana asked later that night, nodding towards the small package.

"It's a gift, Mom. From that girl Maeve. Remember her?"

Diana looked thoughtful for a moment. "Oh, right. The girl you've told me about in your letters. Yes, I remember her." She smiled as she watched her son holding his gift so carefully, noticed the faraway look in his eyes. She'd gotten the sense that this girl was special to Spencer when she'd observed the way he wrote about her, but seeing the look on his face right now made her fully realize just how deep his feelings truly were.

Reid was so tempted to want to tear open the gift right then and there. _I should wait, though. I bet she'll wait until Christmas to open hers._

"You can open it if you want," Diana said then, chuckling as Reid blinked his eyes and gazed at her.

"What?" he asked, sounding a bit dazed.

"The present. You can open it if you want to."

"You never let me open gifts when I was a kid, Mom," he pointed out, a light laugh escaping his lips.

Diana shrugged. "This one's different." She winked at him.

_A mother really _does_ know,_ Reid thought, his face turning a light shade of red as he began gingerly prying away the brown wrapping. Inside he found a small box full of new magic tricks, as well as a new letter and a card.

He set the box and letter on the table, pulling the card out of the envelope. Diana took a moment to let her son read the card, wanting to hug him when she saw his expression change. He looked touched, and there was a hint of longing in his eyes.

"May I ask what it says?" She didn't want to pry, but she'd never seen Spencer like this before. Diana couldn't help but be a little curious.

Reid handed her the card, seeming a little embarrassed at the thought of reading it aloud.

_Spencer –_

_You may well already know every magic trick in the book, but in case you don't, here's some new ones to try. Rather fitting you like magic, as I would say this past year could be called "magical". _

_I've loved getting to know you and talking to you. Thank you for your concern, your time, and most importantly, your affection and humor. I hope you know just how important all of that has been to me. Merry Christmas._

_-Maeve_

Diana looked up at Reid. "I like her," she said.

"So do I," Reid responded. "Very much."

* * *

Back in the Washington, D.C. area, on Christmas Eve, Maeve sat with her parents. They were curious about the present she held in her hands.

"What did you say this boy's name was again?" her mom asked.

"Spencer," Maeve answered. "He's a nice boy, Mom. I think you'd like him."

Her parents studied her, noticing how her eyes lit up as she talked about this Spencer person. She'd never looked like that when talking about any other boy she'd dated.

Maeve found herself a little amused at how he'd remembered to send his gift to her in plain brown paper wrapping. She knew that, in any other circumstance, he would've sent it in the most Christmas-y-looking wrapping paper imaginable (he'd told her about his penchant for colorful, mismatched socks, after all. She had a feeling that whimsical part of him showed up in other areas, too).

The latest letter he'd sent her fell out onto her lap, as did a card. She grinned upon looking at the DVD. It was a science documentary he'd been gushing about in a recent discussion, one he knew she'd find absolutely fascinating. She'd sounded so excited just hearing about it.

She picked up the card and opened it.

_Figured a letter and a movie would help keep you occupied._ Maeve bit her lip, shaking her head in amazement. Always thinking ahead.

_Merry Christmas, Maeve. I don't know that I can begin to tell you just how special this last year has been to me, but it has been. Thank you for all your help, but also, thank you for being there. For being so understanding and caring and…just for being you. It's been wonderful getting to know you. - Spencer_

She looked back up at her parents, her voice wavering a little. "Yeah. I think you two would love him."


	10. Chapter 10

**_December 23_****_rd_****_, 2013_**

Hotch/Beth

* * *

"Is she here yet?"

"Not yet, buddy." Hotch smiled down at Jack, who was bouncing around eagerly on the couch.

Five minutes later, "How 'bout now?"

"No, Jack, still not here yet."

Ten minutes later. "Is she here _now_?"

"She'll be here soon, Jack. I'm keeping watch at the window." Hotch chuckled, pleased at his son's enthusiasm. Though he didn't actively show it, he felt about as excited as Jack did, if not more so.

About fifteen minutes later, Hotch saw a pair of headlights coming towards his home, the streetlight illuminating Beth's car as it pulled into the driveway. He remained tight-lipped, trying to hide his smile when he saw Jack's eyes light up the moment there was a knock at his door.

"Who could that be, I wonder?" Hotch teased as Jack followed him towards the door.

"Beth!" Jack exclaimed as he saw her standing in the doorway.

"Hi, Jack!" Beth held her arms out, laughing as the boy ran over to give her a big hug. "It's so good to see you again!"

"He's been looking forward to you visiting for the last month or so," Hotch said, taking in the happy reunion before him.

"Well, I've certainly been looking forward to it, too. I'm so glad I get to spend Christmas with you guys!" She then turned to embrace Hotch, letting out a yelp of delight as he pulled her to him, giving her a very welcoming kiss.

"Yuck!"

Hotch and Beth chuckled as they parted, noticing Jack's look of disgust. He ruffled his son's hair.

"Hey, buddy, do you want to help us make dinner tonight?" Hotch asked. Jack happily accepted. He proudly helped stir the chili and set the table, and soon everyone was gathered together in conversation. Jack told Beth about school, while Beth talked about her job and all the exciting things happening in New York. Hotch hung back a little, in part because his job wasn't really the best dinner conversation (and was a bit too scary for Jack to hear about as well), but also because he much preferred seeing Beth and Jack chatting and laughing and learning more about each other.

Afterward, the three of them hung out in the living room, watching a couple holiday cartoons and a movie, which Jack fell asleep halfway through.

Hotch looked over at Beth, who was stroking Jack's hair. "Would you like to do the honors?" he asked.

"You mean, tuck him in?" Beth asked, slightly surprised.

"Yeah. I'd join you, of course, to say good-night, but…I just figured…"

"I'd love to!" She stood up carefully, Hotch helping her lift the child into her arms. Jack managed to stay asleep until he was settled into his bed. Then he began to stir a little.

"'m not tired…" he mumbled, his eyes half open.

"Well, I believe you, Jack, but just to be on the safe side, I think it's best you stay here. That way, if you _do_ get tired, you're in just the right place to fall asleep," Beth whispered.

"'Kay…" Jack's eyes were already starting to droop again.

"Good night, Jack." Beth reached up, planting a kiss on his forehead, before pulling the covers around him.

"Night, buddy. Sweet dreams." Hotch added, copying Beth's actions.

"Night. Love you," Jack replied, a happy, dreamy look on his face.

"Love you, too." A light pat on the bed and Jack's arm, and Hotch and Beth soon found themselves back in the living room, curled up on the couch.

"You've got a really wonderful son," Beth said.

"I'm very proud of him." Hotch beamed at the thought of his son. "He's been through so much…he puts up with so much. I don't know how he does it."

"He's like his father." Beth smiled knowingly at Hotch. "You've been through a lot as well, and yet look at where you are now. You're strong, you work hard, and yet you still do everything imaginable to take care of your son. Even when you can't actually be with him, you still see to it he knows where you are and that he's okay and taken care of." She rubbed his arm. "Every time I see you with him I fall in love with you even more."

"I feel the same way when I see you two together." He turned to face her, a meaningful look in his eyes. "I don't know that I've thanked you enough for how you've stepped in to take care of Jack. I know it can't be easy, coming into a situation with a widowed man and his son, but…the way you've handled it has been amazing. You've been so patient and understanding."

"You're right. It's not easy. I won't lie, I was a little nervous at first, meeting Jack, wondering how he'd take to me. But I think he knows I'm not trying to replace Haley. He's pretty smart – another thing he inherited from somebody." She gave Hotch's arm a light squeeze.

"You're doing well with him. I'm glad he has you around. I'm glad _I_ have you around." He placed a hand over hers. "Especially after a year like this one. Having someone like you to turn to really helps."

"I'm glad I could be there. I always will be." Beth rested her head on Hotch's shoulder, the two falling into a contemplative silence for a few minutes. Then, "So are you going to be free from work for a while?"

"As far as I know, yes. We've got Christmas off for sure and it sounds like next week should be fairly quiet as well, save for any possible big emergencies."

"And you still have some vacation time to use?"

"Lots," Hotch replied with a firm nod and wide eyes, causing Beth to giggle.

"Want to use some of it next week, then?"

Hotch looked at her with interest.

"Like you said, this year's been a rough one for you in many ways, and it's so obvious you could use an actual vacation. Which is why I was thinking that it'd be a great idea for you and Jack to come up to New York with me next week. You guys can get a chance to celebrate the new year New York style, and we can have a do-over of the last time you guys were in town."

Hotch pretended to give this some thought.

"Aaron!" Beth said, playfully hitting his chest. "Come on!"

They both started laughing as Hotch answered. "That sounds like a great idea, Beth. I'm in. And I know Jack will be, too."

"Wonderful! Shall we tell him tomorrow or Wednesday?"

"I vote Wednesday. See how good you are at keeping a secret."

"Aaron, you're terrible sometimes," Beth teased, wrapping her arms around her waist.

"But you love me, remember?"

Beth nodded, a pleased look on her face. "Yeah. I do."

"Good. I love you, too," he replied, wrapping an arm around her and pulling a blanket over the two of them.


	11. Chapter 11

**_December 24_****_th_****_, 2008_**

JJ/Will

* * *

"Better hurry, he's getting restless!" JJ called out as she tried to keep her now active baby next to her. He, however, seemed more interested in trying to wriggle around and grab at random things on the floor.

"I'm comin'!" Will responded, bounding into the room. He sat down between JJ and the tree, pulling over a couple of the gifts.

"All right. You ready to open your presents, Henry?" Will asked, holding a small one out towards him.

Henry took that moment to grab at a bit of the wrapping paper that had come undone, ripping it off.

"I'll take that as a yes," Will remarked, causing JJ to laugh. "Come 'ere, buddy. Come 'ere." He lifted Henry onto his lap, "helping" him open up his first gift. "This one's from your mama."

"Ooooh, what is it?" JJ asked encouragingly, reaching out and tickling Henry's chin. She lit up at seeing her son break into a big smile and let out a happy squeal.

"Oh, look at that!" Will gasped, holding it out towards Henry. It was a book that featured various baby animals, and in the center of each page, there were bits of soft "fur" that corresponded with each animal. "Doesn't that look like fun?" he asked, opening up the book and letting Henry touch some of the soft fur.

Henry stared at the picture, wide-eyed, as Will set it down next to him.

"Okay. Next present."

"This one's from…" JJ glanced at the tag as Will held it up. "Daddy!" She took her turn opening it up for Henry. It was a tan-colored teddy bear. A bit older-looking, a bit worn, but still in pretty good condition.

"This was what I used to sleep with when _I _was a baby," Will whispered. "Now you can have it." He ran a hand over his son's head, planting a soft kiss on top.

JJ wanted to melt right then and there.

They each continued on with the rest of Henry's presents. Bath toys, ABC books, rattles, a couple new pairs of clothes, and a blanket that JJ's mom had helped teach her how to make. Henry played around with a few of the toys for a bit before deciding the wrapping paper and bows were more interesting after all (and his parents indulged him by putting a couple of the sticky bows on Henry's forehead). JJ snapped a few pictures. "Garcia is so going to want copies of _this_," she gushed.

Later that night, after their son had been put to bed and the paper cleaned up, Will began setting up his luggage near the front door. "Got your stuff ready for tomorrow, cher?" he asked. "Remember, we've got an early flight."

"Yep, all ready," JJ said, coming over to help. "I just called my mom to make sure she and Dad were ready to go tomorrow, too."

"I can't wait for my parents to meet your parents," Will said, putting an arm around JJ and rubbing her back. "I've been talking them up for ages."

"You have?" JJ asked, surprised, as she slipped her arm around Will's waist.

"Yeah. They were really nice to me when I came to visit last year. Knew how to make me feel at home."

"Easy. They saw what I saw in you, Will. You're a good guy." She leaned up to give him a kiss. "I'm just surprised they agreed to come down to New Orleans with us."

"Well, it _is_ a little bit warmer down there right now than it is here," Will pointed out.

"That's true. Plus, they haven't really had a vacation in a while." She tightened her grip on Will's waist. "It'll just be so nice to have everyone together."

"That it will." Will nodded, his grip also tightening.

"I forgot. I have one present I wanted to give you today," JJ said suddenly, slipping out of Will's grasp. She wandered over to the tree, Will following behind.

"Here you go," she said softly. "Merry Christmas, Will."

Will opened the gift and started laughing. "Oh, you gotta be kiddin'!"

JJ frowned. "What?"

"Apparently we had the same idea!" Will continued, still laughing. JJ now looked confused as Will went over to grab a similarly shaped present out from under the tree and handed it to her.

She soon joined him in laughing. "Indeed we did!" She looked down at the photo of Will and Henry, both with matching Santa hats, before turning to look at the photo of her and Henry. The only difference was that they sported elf hats. Both photos featured a backdrop of a forest covered in snow.

"They had a special goin' on down at the mall, as you obviously figured out. I took Henry one day while you were workin'," Will explained. "It took forever for me to get him settled – they had a baby wrangler there who really helped."

"He was well-behaved when we went down there," JJ said, pretending to act all smug.

"He's definitely a mama's boy," Will agreed. "But who can blame him?" He wrapped his arms around JJ as she set her photo down, nuzzling her nose.

"That special's still going through New Year's, I think," JJ said, throwing her arms around Will's neck. "I think, when we come home, we should go back and get another picture with all three of us in it."

"Sounds good to me." Will gazed at her. "I love you, Jayje."

"I love you, too, Will," she said before kissing him once again.


	12. Chapter 12

**_December 25_****_th_****_, 2014_**

Morgan/Emily

**A/N:** And now we go _into the future_! By a year. But still. Mix of romance and family-esque stuff here, but hopefully the balance works for you guys.

Thanks once again to everyone who followed/favorited this series and left reviews-I'm glad you all enjoyed it. Happy holidays to all of you-whatever you're celebrating, I hope you have a wonderful time!

* * *

_"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now making our final descent into O'Hare. Please fasten your seatbelts."_

Emily could barely contain herself as she heard the announcement. She was half tempted to yank off her seatbelt and jump off the plane right then and there.

Instead, she sat, lightly bouncing about in her seat, waiting out the remaining time of her flight.

"Come on, come on…" she muttered.

Finally, _finally_, when the plane landed, Emily immediately began grabbing her bags and nabbed a spot in the line of passengers. She tried to be as patient as possible while the line moved, all the while silently cursing her "proper, ladylike" upbringing.

Eventually, she was in the airport, and then she was scanning the crowd, and then she burst out laughing when she saw a familiar tall, bald-headed man standing there holding a sign with her name written in massive capital letters.

"Derek!" She scurried over, trying to stretch out an arm for hugging and clinging to her bags all at the same time.

"Emily!" he called back, taking two or three big strides towards her. His strong arms pressed her to him, her arm instinctively went around his neck, and the two greeted each other with the most passionate kiss imaginable, passerby be damned.

"It's _so_ good to see you," Derek said as they parted a few moments later.

"Good to see you, too. Thank you so much for the plane ticket, and talking to Clyde – how the hell'd you manage to do that without my knowledge, anyway?"

Derek shrugged, his face mischievous. "I'll explain later. I'm just glad Clyde agreed to letting you take some time off. He said, and I quote, 'That poor girl needs to get the hell out of here for a few days'."

Emily shook her head, sighing. "I guess I _have_ been working a bit too hard lately…"

"A _bit_?" Derek replied, raising an eyebrow. "Practically every conversation we've had lately has revolved around your work. Made trying to have sexy phone talk with you _really_ difficult." He nudged her, smirking.

"Well, I'm here now, and I don't even want to _think_ about work –"

"- that's the idea," Derek cut in enthusiastically.

"- so maybe we can do _more_ than just talk." Emily nudged Derek back as she said this, giving him a knowing glance.

He threw an arm around her shoulder. "Again, I am _so_ glad you're back." At that, he began taking a couple of her bags, and the two headed off in search of her luggage.

* * *

"So you said your mom and sisters will be back soon, then?" Emily asked as she came back into the living room, settling next to Derek on the couch.

"Yeah. They're out getting a few last-minute food items they'd forgotten. Much of the food's already been made and chilled, it's mostly just a couple sides and snack stuff."

"Sounds good."

Derek nodded. "I was thinking this would be the perfect time for you to do what you'd planned once you got here." He held the phone out towards Emily.

"Do you think they'll all be too busy?" Emily asked as she took the phone, biting her lip a bit.

"I think they'll be able to spare a moment for you," Derek said reassuringly.

Emily went digging in her purse for her address book, making her way through the list of phone numbers. "You swear they have no idea I'm here?"

"I haven't said a word," Derek assured her. "I wanted this to be a total surprise all the way around."

"Perfect," Emily murmured as she finished dialing the first number.

"Hello?" came Alex Blake's voice a few moments later.

"Hi, Alex? This is Emily Prentiss."

"Emily! Yes! Hi!" Emily smiled at the warm tone in Blake's response.

"Hey, Blake!" Morgan called from his spot on the couch.

"Did you hear that?" A pause, and then laughter on both ends. "Yeah, he is rather loud, isn't he?" She giggled at Morgan's sudden mock hurt expression. "Anyway, we just wanted to say hi and wish you a merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you, too," Blake said. "It's great to hear from you – we'll have to make time to meet up again."

"I'd like that," Emily agreed. She'd loved getting to know Blake when she came back to help the team with a case earlier in the year, and was pleased to see how well she and the rest of the team had adjusted to each other. Blake, meanwhile, saw the incredible love and respect her teammates had had for Emily, and was thrilled to finally get to know the woman behind all the impressive stories and memorable moments. She, along with Garcia, had also been instrumental in urging Morgan to return to Europe after his 2012 Olympics visit and make more out of his time with Emily. Which Emily was now eternally grateful to her (and Garcia) for.

The two women chatted a little bit longer, making plans, before finally hanging up. Next on Emily's list was Garcia, and she had to hold the phone away from her ear as Garcia's shriek echoed through the receiver. Morgan doubled over laughing.

"Merry Christmas, Baby Girl!" he shouted, laughing once again as he heard Garcia begin some sort of rant along the lines of, "How could you not tell me about this sooner I should've been there why am I not there my brothers think something bad's happened to me now!"

"Hi, Garcia," Emily managed to get out, cutting off Garcia's rambling.

"Oh, my god, Emily, this is officially the best day ever! Hi! Where are you?"

"Chicago. Visiting Derek and his family."

"Ahhhhhhh…" Emily playfully rolled her eyes at Derek. She could almost picture the sly look on Garcia's face. "Meeting the family, eh? Nice."

"Yeah, yeah," Emily responded, waving a hand dismissively. Garcia chuckled.

"Seriously, that is so sweet. I'm so happy for you two."

"We're pretty happy, too," Emily said, throwing Derek an affectionate look. "Thanks, Garcia."

"Oh, my two lovebirds. Your happiness is thanks enough," Garcia cooed. "Unfortunately, I have to go, but I hope you two have a wonderful Christmas. And we are SO meeting up when you come back to Virginia. You _are_ coming back, right?"

"Yeah, we are. Next Monday. That was actually supposed to be the second surprise…so don't tell the rest of the team, okay?"

"My lips are sealed!" Garcia vowed. She waited a moment before continuing. "It's so good to have you back, Emily."

Emily could hear the emotion in her friend's voice, and felt herself becoming a little misty-eyed. "It's good to _be_ back. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, my lovelies!"

Emily took a moment to compose herself before working her way down the line. Next up was Hotch, and as was usual with him, his phone call was short and sweet and to the point. He wasn't an overly emotional person, but Emily could swear she detected a hint of emotion in his voice when he said goodbye to her. She actually found herself chatting longer with Beth – she always felt like she wanted to throw on pajamas and have a slumber party with her whenever they chatted.

Same thing with JJ. They always knew how to pick up right where they left off in their conversations, laughing as they joked about things that Will and Morgan playfully rolled their eyes at. And when she talked to Jack and Henry, Emily found herself feeling a stirring that had become increasingly apparent within the past year or so. It was one she'd longed to talk to Morgan about for some time. Now that her plans were changing, she felt the "right time" was getting closer.

Rounding out her list of phone calls were Reid and Rossi. Reid was, as usual, visiting his mom, and Emily was especially pleased to hear how happy and increasingly at peace he sounded. From what Morgan had told her, he'd slowly started to become the old Reid she knew and loved again over the past year. He still had his moments, of course, as was to be expected, but knowing he was doing okay made her feel so much better.

Much to Emily's surprise, Rossi had joined Reid on his trip to Vegas. "We were talking a while back, and realized we're both kind of in the same boat in terms of what we've been through lately," he'd explained to her, "and he didn't like the idea of me being alone at Christmas, so…"

"Oh, Rossi…" Emily replied, her eyes growing misty again. "That's great. Are you guys having fun?"

"Yeah, we've been exploring the casinos, playing card games -"

"I keep beating him!" Reid's voice echoed from somewhere in the background.

"Only because you cheat!" Rossi shot back. Emily could only bite her lip in response, smirking at the image of a smug Reid and an exasperated Rossi.

Rossi spoke to Emily again, his voice lower this time. "Honestly, it really has been a nice trip. I needed this more than I realized, I think. He did, too."

"You two deserve it. I'm glad you're both having a good time."

"Same to you," Rossi replied meaningfully. "It's nice to hear your voice."

"Likewise," Emily agreed. After getting in her final holiday wishes and goodbyes to both Rossi and Reid, she then handed the phone back to Morgan.

"You gotta love 'em, huh?" Derek chuckled as he saw Emily nod. He pulled Emily over towards him, so that she was leaning against his chest. "They're going to _flip_ when they see you next week."

"They might be seeing me even more often than that," Emily said, almost to herself.

"…what?" Derek asked, lowering his head to try and get her attention.

Emily straightened up again, sighing. "I've been thinking, Derek. About my job, and everything you said about me being so stressed out over it…and you're right." She took a deep breath. "Which is why I've been thinking about…about moving back here." She looked directly into Derek's eyes. "For good."

Derek's eyebrows shot up. "You're serious?" he asked.

"It's not a done deal yet, there's still some things I need to think over and consider. But talking to everyone just now, and being with you…it's nice. And if we're going to make this thing work, well…being in the same area would help. A _lot_."

"No argument there. And I know the others would be thrilled to have you back. I would, too. But I don't want you to give up a job you like if you do like it just for me." He placed his fingers under her chin. "I love you. I'm willing to make this work wherever you are."

"Like I said, it's not set in stone yet. I'd need to talk to Clyde as well. But we'll see what happens."

"Works for me," Derek said, embracing her.

"I love you, too, by the way," Emily added.

"I know."

Their quiet time was interrupted shortly thereafter by Fran, Sarah, and Desiree. There was a flurry of greetings, which soon turned into chatting over a fantastic Christmas dinner, which was then followed by presents galore and enjoying a few Christmas specials on TV.

Later that night, long after everyone else in the house had fallen asleep, Derek sat on the edge of his bed, careful not to wake Emily. He reached into his bottom drawer and pulled out a small black box, sneaking a peek at the ring inside, smiling warmly.

Whatever Emily's answer to her current dilemma, he knew he was ready either way.


End file.
